


ghosting

by softheathen



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Ghosts, M/M, Mentions of past suicide, Supernatural - Freeform, This is probably going to be sad, based on the song ghosting by mother mother, platonic joshler because i don't write any of that and i need to
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-03
Updated: 2018-08-20
Packaged: 2018-08-28 19:32:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8460262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/softheathen/pseuds/softheathen
Summary: 23 year old Tyler Joseph really should have read more into the property before he purchased the run down Victorian home.





	1. i've been ghosting

**Author's Note:**

> if you listen to ghosting by mother mother it may reveal parts of where this story might go, but it's also my favorite song and the motivation i have for creating this, but please give it a listen!

Tyler Joseph should have done many things before he purchased the run down home that he could finally call his own. But he was _desperate_. Desperate to get away from the noise and the complaints of his parents, constant reminders that he was going nowhere in life, that he needed to work on his career. _Building himself._ He was never interested in doing what his parents wanted. He didn't want to play Basketball for the rest of his life. He wanted to have space where he could make his own music, write songs, play his instruments and build himself in a way that would produce happiness instead of settle for something. So, he found himself here, in a house that he barely managed to afford with the job he held at the Guitar Centre by his old house. Living with his parents always had its perks.

 

Tyler had made a move he had never expected he would, 465 miles in approximation away from Columbus. Salisbury, North Carolina was never a place he ever intended to live. He hadn't planned to move farther than a few miles away from his house, but he found this house and fell in love. The house was historic, dating back to 1899. Though it was falling apart, rough around the edges. It made up for it in the woodworking. The twelve-foot ceilings that made the space around his head feel much larger than it really was. There was a bay window overlooking the front yard and the surrounding houses, and a porch much larger than he ever would have imagined. He couldn't imagine living somewhere else.

 

The only disadvantage to moving somewhere so far away was the fact that he couldn't bring his own furniture. Not that he had much in the first place, but the house was practically bare apart from the old futon that had been left by the old owners. Along with a box full of dishes and silverware that his mother demanded he brings. His truck was full of odds and ends, his entire wardrobe crammed into two suitcases and shoved haphazardly into the backseat. For the first time, Tyler felt independent, and although it was scary. He felt free.

 

Tyler had inserted the address into his GPS at the last stop, a wide smile on his face as the realization of what was happening, what he was doing. Filled through his mind and filled him with a sense of pride, he was proud of himself for having the strength to move out on his own. He felt pride in the fact that he had bettered himself to the point where he felt safe on his own, trusted himself enough to be alone. He drummed his fingers mindlessly against the opened window as he drove leisurely across the town border, a smile crossing his face as the seconds crept by. Excitement spread through his body like a sunset after a rainy day, colors bursting through the seams and spreading throughout the surface. He was so incredibly happy.

 

His mind was racing, and the scenery around him overwhelmed his mind as he took in everything. He was in a different town, a place where nobody knew his name. Nobody knew his story. It was unbelievable but it settled in his chest like a safety blanket. He turned onto Charlotte Street and the smile on his face reached new heights, his cheeks burning with the pressure of the movements that were so foreign. He'd never been to the house before, so he had begun his trek early in the morning the day before. Sleeping in the front seat of his truck so he could wake up and begin driving once again. The realtor he had purchased at it had intended to meet him at the house, to give a tour, have him sign some papers, and hand over his keys. He was more than ecstatic.

 

He caught sight of the winding driveway and took caution to enter and steer clear of the black Mercedes Benz that was parked outside. Tyler hoped that one day he might be able to purchase a vehicle as beautiful as that, but today was not that day. Today, he was getting his first house.

 

\---

 

"Ah, I'm making the assumption that you're Tyler Joseph?" A warm voice filled through Tyler's mind as he stepped out of his truck, shoving his keys into his pocket and slamming the door shut behind him. He dragged his fingers across the darkened brown of his hood as he looked up, catching sight of the woman who stood on the porch. A wide smile spread across her lips, shining white teeth breaking through space in between. "You'd be correct; it's nice to meet you."

 

Tyler quickly made his ways up the steps, extending his hand to shake with the woman in front of him. She gingerly took his hand and gave it a firm shake, before stepping back and offering another smile. "As I'm sure you already know, I'm Laura Dun. And in a few minutes, this house will be yours."

 

Laura's chestnut hair bounced around her head as she moved, her movements animated and inviting. Tyler couldn't fight the smile on his face. She reminded him too much of his mother, and it certainly wasn't a bad thing. "I can't wait."

 

Laura pulled a key that looked similar to an old fashioned skeleton key out of her pocket, before she unlocked the door, stepping to the side to allow Tyler entrance. Her eyes looked unsure, but Tyler didn't notice the gaze. She followed in behind him, allowing the large mahogany door to fall shut behind her with a barely audible creak. Tyler let out a gasp as Laura flipped the light switch on in the foyer, his eyes followed across the banisters and old paintings that hung lopsided on the walls. He already knew that this place was going to be perfect. "This one is a really important one for me to sell; it's been on the market for way too long. The value was beginning to decrease."

 

"Personal importance?" Tyler questioned, running his hand lazily across the cream colored walls of the foyer, eager to enter farther into the house. He barely caught Laura's nod but gave her his full attention regardless. "Yes, I lived here for 35 years."

 

"Anyways! Let's get on with the tour now, shall we? I'm sure you'd love to get settled in." Tyler nodded eagerly, the same smile spreading across his lips, but this time, a chill ran down his spine.

 

\---

"This room, fortunate for you. Has come fully furnished, the furniture in here actually has been here since I left. There are a queen bed, an oak end table and an armchair to the left of the room. The mattress has barely been used, and if you don't have a bed this would certainly be a good bet for you. I can promise you that we had it cleaned before I even brought you here." Tyler let out a sigh of relief, a small smile spreading across his lips as he traced his fingers across the dust coated end table. In that moment, he decided that the third bedroom at the end of the hall would be his.

 

There was a homely feel to this room, a feeling of having being lived in. Being comfortable. With seeing the rest of the house, he was almost certain that this might be his favorite part of the house. The bay window falling at a close second. Laura smiled and gently pressed her hand to his back. "This concludes the tour, I can tell you're exhausted so I have one more thing to ask. I just need you to sign a few papers, I'll hand you over the key. And you can call this place your own."

 

"Let's get to it."

 

Tyler swore he felt something move behind him as he stepped out of the room.


	2. i've been ghosting alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When you're tossing, when you turn in your sleep  
> It's because I'm ghosting your dreams

When the mess of reddish blonde hair disappeared behind the front door of Tyler's house, he breathed his first sigh of relief. Laura's presence wasn't unwelcome, but the comfort of being alone was something he favoured all too much. Tyler felt a chill run down his spine as he looked across the foyer. But he shoved it off as a draft from a missing portion of the roofing, or a crack in the siding that he hadn't noticed previously. He didn't mind too much, this place was fully intended to be a fixer-upper; he'd have plenty of time to spend on it. He didn't mind too much, this place was fully intended to be a fixer upper, he'd have plenty of time to spend on it. But currently, the thing that needed his time was the bags that currently stood piled up in the backseat of his truck.

 

He shoved his hands into the yellow hoodie that was wrapped tightly around his gaunt form, double checking to make sure that the skeleton key was settled at the bottom of his  pocket. Tyler made his way towards the dark mahogany front door, his eyes falling on the way the fading sun fell softly through the bay window, and he stepped into the cold outside air with a smile on his face. He shoved his hands into the yellow hoodie that was wrapped tightly around his gaunt form, double checking to make sure that the skeleton key was settled at the bottom of his  pocket.

 

Tyler made his way towards the dark mahogany front door, his eyes falling on the way the fading sun fell softly through the bay window, and he stepped into the cold outside air with a smile on his face. The air was uncomfortable and nipped at his neck and lips, leaving his skin feeling bitten and unsettled. His breath was falling from his lips in plumes of smoke, captivating his attention momentarily as he walked down the seven steps laid with cobblestone that lead to his driveway. He pulled his truck key from the back pocket of his jeans, making quick work of shoving it into the keyhole and leaving his keys in the door. There was no point in removing them, he was going to drop a few bags at the door and come back for more.

 

He threw the duffle bag containing his entire wardrobe over his shoulder, the bag hitting his back with a force that was almost painful. He shrugged it off and reached back in, pulling out a box with a small writing of 'fragile' across the top in his mother's handwriting. He smiled faintly before adjusting the weight and slamming the door to the truck shut. He made quick work of jumping up the steps; taking them two at a time as to ease the amount of time he'd spend not only moving his stuff inside, but unpacking. Although the sun had just begun to duck beneath the mountains, he was exhausted. He craved nothing more but to curl up in the bed upstairs and sleep until his mind told him he couldn't anymore. But if he didn't do all of this now, he would procrastinate it. The boxes would remain on his floor until he took care of it at a later date, but he was motivated to get everything over and done with.

 

 

Moving into a new house had never been something Tyler had done alone, it was always with his siblings Madison and Zack in tow, their small arms struggling to carry boxes as they followed alongside their older brother. But Tyler was faced with the silence, and the sickening nostalgia of the event, and doing it on his own. Sent an uncomfortable taste towards his mouth. He did his best to divert his attention from his thoughts, and had successfully managed to focus on the wooden panelling of the front porch.  

 

Tyler stepped through the doorway, and his foot landed directly on his truck keys.

 

His breath caught in his throat, and the realization of what had just happened left him speechless, and at a loss of breath. He was fully aware of his actions, which is what lead him to feel so stumped. He had left his keys in the door of his truck. He hadn't put them back in his pocket. He settled the box haphazardly onto the floor of the foyer, looking down into the dark corridors of the hallways with his eyebrows raised. He blinked heavily and dropped the duffle bag onto the floor alongside the box full of fragile items. He made the decision that he'd wait until daylight broke to unpack all of his items.

 

\---

 

Tyler couldn't deny the fact that he was shaken, and he couldn't decide if what he had seen downstairs was the spotty sleep he had managed the night before weighing him down, or something completely opposite. Half of his belongings were locked back up in his truck, the motivation to move things inside gone within the blink of an eye. He now found himself, his duffle bag discarded at the end of the bed, and navy blue sheets that he found in the closet within the bedroom. The room felt comforting, the isolation that fell along with the rest of the way melting into nothing and leaving him comfortable. He pulled the old duvet over his body, his eyes flying open as he felt the duffel collapse to the floor beside him. But he didn't have the energy to drag himself up to move it properly.

 

With a sigh, he settled his head against his arm. Having left his pillow abandoned in the front seat of his truck. He settled as well as he could into the lumpy mattress before he leaned over to flip off the bedside lamp.

 

It didn't take long before the cloudy space in his head faded into silence.

 

\---

 

_Josh_

Joshua Dun had been alone in this house for 5 years. The silence that fell after his passing had been deafening, the white noise in his brain leading him down a darkened path that he wasn't sure he'd ever find an escape from. Without the beating of his heart, the echo of his breathing, he felt like nothing. But of course, he was nothing. Josh was dead. He had nothing to strive for, nothing to deal with. It was incessant boredom, sleepless evenings and a drought in comfort. Josh was tired.

 

This day had fallen like any other day, the sun rose in the East like it had on any other day. He spent the duration with his face pressed against the window, his hand nearly falling through the glass as he traced patterns that wouldn't dare appear across the transparent surface.

This day had fallen like any other day, the sun rose in the East like it had on any other day. He spent the duration with his face pressed against the window, his hand nearly falling through the glass as he traced patterns that wouldn't dare appear across the transparent surface. He wished he could feel the heat of the rising sun across his sunken cheeks, but the idea that he could not sent an uncomfortable sense through his body. There was no change in this familiar house, the house he had spent growing through his living life had become mindless, numb. The memories lived within it only a shell of what he once was, and he was exhausted.

 

He rested his head against the windowsill, laughing emotionlessly at his carelessness as his head fell through the window. He pulled himself back in the house, and his eyes widened as he looked back out towards the front yard from the bay window. A sleek black vehicle was pulling into the driveway, and a smile spread across his face in recognition. It had been years, 4 to be exact. Since he had even seen that vehicle pass this house, 5 years since he had been settled in the passenger seat, singing loudly along to Green Day; despite his mom's distaste.

 

He appeared himself in the foyer, sitting at the base of the steps. He put his head in his hands, his elbows resting on the ends of his knees. A wide smile was spread across his face, and he couldn't wait to see what he assumed would be his mother walking through the front door. He knew she had full ownership of the house, and he knew that she had fully intended to sell the house. Though the idea chilled him down the bone, the thought that his mother wouldn't make another appearance at this house for as long as she lived. Brought him a sadness he was sure he'd never feel again, but he couldn't defend it. He knew they were probably just as sad when he died. Maybe he deserved to be alone.

 

When his mother walked through the door, he was sure that if he had a working body; he would cry. She was just as beautiful as he remembered, the age had risen to her cheeks and he was saddened that he was unable to watch her grow. The look on her face reflected his sadness, as she mindlessly ran her hands across the wall. A deeply rooted frown written across her face as she stepped through the foyer and towards the staircase. Josh couldn't breathe as she walked right through him, and he faded into nothing.

 

He appeared once again when he heard the door to his bedroom swing open. He settled himself crisscrossed on the bed. The bed his parents had left when they'd moved out. Nothing in this room had been taken, everything minus a few items were tossed in the trash, separated between siblings, or just left behind to collect dust. To be tossed around and then rearranged to create something for the exhausted ghost to do. Laura stepped through the door, nostalgia written on her face as she leaned down to sit at the edge of his bed, her face sullen and sad. Josh moved, despite the fact she couldn't feel him; just to give her more space. Maybe he was a ghost, but he wasn't completely rude.

 

"Joshie?"

 

Josh's head shot up, his eyes boring into his mother's head as she stared blankly at the wall beyond her. He watched in sadness once he realized that his mother couldn't see him, that she hadn't noticed his presence against the comfort of his bed.

 

"I know you probably can't hear me, sweetheart. But talking to you at our new house just wasn't working for me anymore. Your father has begun to detest me, and I feel lost playing my own life through. I haven't been the same since you left baby, and I'm certain I can never return."

 

"Today's a big moving point. I hadn't put the house on the market for a while because I knew there wouldn't be a lot of people who would want to move into here. For god's sake, they call it the 'Suicide House' within the city, your brother's and sisters are constantly drilled with questions and me-"

 

"It's heartbreaking. You're gone but the way people speak about you, about us. Is devastating."

 

"But baby, there's somebody moving in here today. He's going to take good care of the house. If you're even here, if you can even listen to me. I love you more than anything, please. Be nice to him."

 

She lifted herself from the bed and left the room without a looking back.

 

\---

 

When the strange boy walked into the house, Josh was terrified. He couldn't stand the idea of somebody who was not his family, was not his sisters, his brother, or his father; walking through the echoing hallways in the house way to big for just one person. But he couldn't deny the sense of excitement that was building heavily within the confines of his chest. He wanted to know who this individual is, he wanted to have somebody walking through these halls again. Filling his life, his forever home. With happiness and thought once again. He was hoping that this boy, could give him a reason to remain here.

 

His hair looked soft, and if he wasn't a ghost, and wasn't capable of scaring the life out of the poor soul, he would have reached forward and run his calloused fingers through the mess. This boy was something special, his body language and the way she spoke screamed that he was shy, that something had happened to him that was negative and had left him stuck in a negative mindset. Josh wished with everything inside of him that he could reach forward and touch him, or just exchange clever words. But of course, he couldn't.

 

The air was silent once Tyler was left alone within the confines of the house, and Josh reveled in the look on his face as he did a once over alone of the building. The soft smile with pouty lips never left his face as he scanned every single item of furniture. His fingers ran gingerly over every portion of wallpaper as if he could have ripped it with the gentlest touch.

 

Josh admired his care, and he knew that this boy. Would take good care of his home.

 

He was slightly uncomfortable that the space that he had lived his entire teenage years in this house, was now being reclaimed as Tyler's bedroom. But he was sure that he could warm up to the idea. He had pulled the old space themed sheets that used to cover the mattress, and recovered them. That idea alone had the small smile already across his face spreading wider. He then found the old duvet, one covered in dust from years of misuse. But he shook it out, a rusty sigh falling from his lips before he threw himself on the bed. It didn't take long before Tyler was drifting off to sleep, and Josh was seeing something that hadn't happened the day before.

 

A boy sleeping in his bed, living, breathing and adding life to the space around him.


	3. ghost in your house

A boy with red hair haunted his dreams that night, and he wasn't certain that he had ever seen him before. The tapping of his hands against his tight ripped jeans and the glint of his nose piercing was captivating at best, and Tyler found himself drowning in his appearance. He held himself high, a smile spread across his face straight and beautiful as he looked on towards the road the bay window overlooked. He seemed at home, he seemed comfortable. He traced patterns against the glass, foggy aliens in the condensation. Tyler found it amusing, and he watched in silence as the boy went about his daily life. Hugged children he could only assume to be his siblings and just lived.

 

Tyler awoke with a start, his body lunging forward into the darkness that shrouded his body with thick air and uncomfortable movements. He let out a groan, reaching for his phone on the end table, the numbers burning into his eyeballs as he switched off the screen once again. It was only 6 in the morning, and he was hoping by some force that he'd get to sleep in today, but that was proven wrong as he found himself kicking his feet off the end of the bed. Dragging the old blanket he'd found in the closet around his body. He hadn't quite figured how to manage the thermostat yet, so the cold wood felt near painful against the bottom of his feet. He pushed the feeling away and headed down the stairs, shivering gently.

 

Tyler was still wearing his jeans and yellow hoodie from the day before, and it hadn't occurred to him until now that the air around him might seem a little better if he moved away from the now-dirty clothes that were wrapped around his body. He dashed the rest of the way down the stairs, the events of what had happened at the front door last night sending a new round of chills through his body. He reached for his duffel bag, throwing it on the counter beside the door and unzipping it. He allowed the blanket to fall from his shoulders and onto the ground beneath his feet, he didn't even take into consideration the dust he was sure would settle into the fabric.

 

He grabbed a pair of gray sweatpants and a loose tank top, one that hung loosely around his chest. It came halfway down his thighs, and despite the oversized shirt he absolutely loved the comfortability of it. He stripped in the middle of the hallway, throwing the dirty clothes onto the ground. He decided that if he was going to make a pile of clothes that he could take it to the Laundromat later along in the week. He looked around on the floor, searching for the box that he had left stranded on the floor in his fear, only to find it nowhere in sight. To his surprise, the fear that he had felt the night before disappeared into thin air. Though the idea of things moving around in the house on their own frightened him on a level he didn't want to admit, he was taught to know that he should embrace strange occurrences and turn them into something bright.

 

Something was going on in this house, there was nothing better he could come up with to describe the movement of the keys from last night, and the box of his kitchen supplies that he couldn't exactly place where it might have gone. He thought about the boy in his dreams, a small smile spreading across his face as he walked down the hallway and into the kitchen. Sunlight was just beginning to spread its way through the curtains. "Hey, um. I don't know who you are, or what you want. But I'm not mad that you're here. If you even are at all that is."

 

"God, what am I doing. Am I already that lonely that I have to talk to something that probably isn't even here. I probably put the box somewhere and forgot about it." He shook his head in disappointment and settled himself into the wooden seats that stood around the large mahogany table. His head shot up when he heard the sound of a piece of paper skittering across the floor, and he watched a small ball roll it's way across the floor and land in the corner of the room. A new burst of fear spread through his chest, sending a chill through his body as he lifted himself from the chair.

 

He knelt down once he reached the ball of paper, lifting it up and flipping it around in his hand before he found the edge and began to unravel it. The writing he found scrolled across the page was messy and unintelligible at best, but he managed to decode it as he felt another pang of anxiety hit him square in the chest.

 

_"You didn't. Look in your bedroom."_


	4. ghost in your arms

Tyler took a deep breath, his heart racing in his chest before he took a hesitant step down the hallway. He wasn't sure exactly what would be waiting for him at the top of the stairs, in the bedroom at the end of the hall. The unsettled feeling rose to his stomach once again, the familiar one that had blossomed in the pit of his insides first thing in the morning. He took a deep breath, grasping desperately against the mahogany as he took hesitant steps up the staircase. He held the note wrapped tightly in his right hand, the paper crumbling even further under his iron grip. He let out a squeak, sitting down on the steps, his head reeling as he tried to make sense of what was happening.

 

His keys had moved out of nowhere last night, cutting into the routine he had hoped to achieve and shredding it into nothing. A box full of kitchen items and canned food disappearing from the foyer. And now he sat, his head in his lap trying to calm the anxiety that was spreading through his body. Following a messily written note that rolled across his kitchen, which now was being crushed inside his fist. He found himself unable to catch his breath, but he balled up his anxiety and rose back to his feet.

 

Tyler ran a hand through the hair on top of his head that he was sure was twice as disheveled as it was when he rose from his bed this morning. Different possibilities were running through his head and he couldn't figure out what was going on. Maybe this was all a hallucination? Maybe that theory would have made more sense if there wasn't physical proof it wasn't. The paper was definitely wrapped in his hand, and it certainly rolled from the opposite side of the room from the one he was seated in.

 

Tyler sped up his pace, walking towards the door with an eagerness spreading through his curious mind opposed to fear. He wasn't sure exactly what might be in there, but he was sure that whatever he would see could be worse. He hesitantly walked towards the door, wishing that he still had that old blanket shrouding his body, but of course, he had forgotten it downstairs in the hallway. With a final deep breath, he pushed the door open and stepped inside.

 

At first glance, nothing caught Tyler's eye. His eyes scanned over the window ledge, and where the closet remained open from the night before. It was only when he looked down at the bed did he see anything out of the ordinary. If anything, what was laid out in front of him was captivating. Every single piece of china that his mother had finely packed was organized upon the top of the worn down mattress. Plates organized based on size, silverware organized by the same precedence.

 

Through the fear that he was almost certain had settled within the pit of his chest, he felt a significant amount of appreciation spreading through his bones. At this point in time, he was almost certain that this wasn't something negative, whatever was settled into the walls of his house wasn't there to influence negativity. He allowed the fear to melt from his bones as he stacked the dishes on top of each other. The box nowhere to be found as he gathered as much as he could carry in two hands in his arms.

 

He headed down the stairs with haste, hoping to head back up to collect the left over china and cutlery. He smiled softly as he stacked them into the cupboard, filling over the empty space within the cabinets. He was thrilled to find that the spare cans of vegetables were stacked neatly already inside. "I- um. Thank you."

 

Tyler swore he could hear a whisper from behind him.

 

\---

 

The silence in the house was becoming overwhelming, the tapping of his phone as he sent a text to his mother letting him know that he had arrived safely the only sound in the room. He jolted from his mindless state when he heard the familiar creak of the hallway stairs. He quickly shook his mind away from the situation before sending the text, settling himself better onto the uncomfortable seat. He stared down the hallway, his eyes analyzing the air almost as if he was certain something was going to appear within the space between. He took a deep breath before he allowed the sound of his voice to fill the empty space.

 

"I don't know, well. I don't think I know the proper way to ask this? But um, if you're here. Can you tap on something?" Tyler listened intently, allowing his hand to grip the musty cushion within his fist as he searched. His heart jumped in his chest when he heard a tap, one that sounded as if it was coming from the room that he was currently settled in. He couldn't speak and he couldn't move, until another string of taps echoed across the room.

 

It took Tyler a few moments before he recognized the tapping, and his jaw near dropped in anticipation. A spike of adrenaline spreading through his body as the same pattern of taps spread across the room again. Without hesitation, a smile spread across his face.

 

_-.. --- -. .----. - / -... . / .- ..-. .-. .- .. -.._

_“don’t be afraid”_

 

"Um, I don't think I am anymore. I mean. Of course, I'm a little freaked out. I'm supposed to be living on my own and I'm- not. Well, not exactly." His voice fumbled over his words as he tried to think of something appropriate to say. After all, what exactly is included within the rulebooks of things you’re allowed to say to ghosts? He wasn’t certain, so he took his chances with the words he was speaking.

 

_\- .... .. ... / .. ... / -- -.-- / .... --- ..- ... ._

_“this is my house”_

"And for that, I'm sorry. I don't mean to intrude. I just needed a change of scenery, a big one at that. I hope I'm not angering you by being here. I kinda need to stay." He laughed half-heartedly, running his hand haphazardly through his hair as he stared into the blank space beyond the couch.

 

.. .----. -- / -. --- - / .- -. --. .-. -.-- --..-- / -.-. --- -. ..-. ..- ... . -.. / -- .- -.-- -... . .-.-.-

_“i’m not angry, confused maybe.”_

Tyler pondered over the words for a minute, his hands tracing patterns over the loose fabric of his sweatpants before he took a deep breath and spoke the words he never thought he'd mean so deeply.

 

"Do you think you'd let me see you?"

 

_.. / -.-. .- -. / - .-. -.—_

_‘i can try’_


	5. i'm ghosting your dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> surprise im back

            Tyler settled himself onto the floor beside the couch. His heart was racing but he did everything in his power to focus on the dust that was forming on his pants, turning them into a dusty gray. He took a deep breath, his eyes scanning the expansion of wall that lined his living room, a sound wasn’t made. The quiet was overwhelming and Tyler wasn’t sure how long he could keep up with the silence. He wanted to make noise, but he also didn’t want to miss anything that could spring up in the midst of it. He felt as if he couldn’t breathe, and he wasn’t sure if it was a panic attack or if he was just scared. He pulled his knees to his chest, taking a heaving breath and fluttering his eyes closed. Tyler could picture the boy who haunted his dreams, and the fear felt as if it was melting from his skin, but the panic remained. He traced his nails down his sides, taking a deep breath before opening his eyes.

 

            What stood in front of him absolutely blew his mind, the red haired boy from his dreams stood. His body shaking, seemingly flickering like static that presents itself on a broken screen of an old television. Tyler couldn’t believe his eyes, and before progressive thoughts could form in his mind, he stood up, brushing the dust mindlessly from his jeans. He approached the boy, his hands shaking as he took a step forward. Tyler’s arm reached out, his mind incapable of stopping the motion before it went through. Tyler’s entire body jolted when his hand went through the body that seemed significantly steady, a gasp that he couldn’t stop fell from his lips. The boy who stood in front of him frowned, his face falling in sadness. He flickered again as if he was planning on disappearing back into the atmosphere of the room.

 

            “Please, don’t think that I’m scared of you. I’m not. You aren’t a threat to me, are you?” Tyler asked, his voice wavering but pleading all in the same breath. The boy shook his head, his eyes shifting to the ground. Tyler felt horrible, he couldn’t believe that out of all the bad things he had done in his life, the one that felt the worst was upsetting a ghost who occupied his house. He let out a sigh, stepping closer once again. “Are you able to talk to me, I don’t know if it works this way but would it take too much energy, would you disappear?”

 

            The boy stepped closer to the wall, raising his fist to knock against the wall. Tyler watched his motion, listening in to the knocks that he was sure to come.

 

.. / -.. --- -. - / -.- -. --- .-- .-.-.- / .. / .... .- ...- . -. - / - .-. .. . -.. .-.-.-

“I don’t know. I haven’t tried.”

 

            Tyler nodded his head but gazed over in interest. “Well, you can always try. If you end up disappearing I’ll be around, waiting for you to come back.” Tyler watched as the boy let a half-smile cross his lips, and he couldn’t help but follow suit.

 

            “Um, hi. I’m Josh.” The voice sounded like softened caramel, but the quality of the voice was not good. He sounded as if he were speaking through a tube or a tunnel for that matter. But the ghost in his house could speak to him, not just through taps. He believed for a moment that he was going insane, but the evidence was right in front of him. “Hi, I’m sure you know that I’m Tyler.”

            The boy he now knew as Josh nodded his head, a wider smile beginning to spread across his lips. Tyler could see the happiness spreading through his body, and he didn’t want to ask if it was because he was alone for so long, and finally he was able to communicate again. “Nobody’s been able to see me before, I’ve done the exact same thing that I’m doing right now. But I’ve always been invisible.” The sadness became evident in his face and Tyler couldn’t fight the pity that built itself within his chest.

 

“Maybe it was meant to be that I can see you then, huh?” Tyler teased, shifting his weight to his opposing foot and letting out a soft laugh. Josh nodded his head, a laugh sounding similar to a melody falling from his lips.

                                

            “I guess so.”

 

            “I know that this might be, uncomfortable for me to ask. But um, how old were you when you, you know. Passed away.” Tyler scratched his head nervously, looking towards the ground as he shook his head. He felt strange, uncomfortable at best. He had never experienced something like this, let alone heard anybody else's experiences with something like this. Josh let out an uncomfortable sigh, shaking his head as he slid along the wall and sat on the floor, pulling his knees to his chest. His jeans had rips in them, and he was wearing a shirt with the state of Ohio written across the front. He raised his eyebrows at the shirt. He was confused as to why this boy would be wearing an Ohio shirt if he lived in North Carolina unless he moved away from Ohio.

 

            “I was 18. It was unfortunate. I wish it hadn’t happened, but sometimes you can’t go back on the things you’ve done.” Josh sniffled, the static transferring across his skin in a different matter as if his moods dictated them. He sighed and ran the back of his hand along his forehead, or tried to before his hand went right through his head. He let out a choked noise, steadying his hands at his sides.

 

            Tyler let out a soft breath, lowering himself to the ground beside Josh, careful not to accidentally put any part of him through the shorter boy. “How did-“

 

            “I killed myself.”

 

 

           


	6. to pull these old white sheets from my head

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi babies!! i'm back!

Tyler wrapped his arms around his body, sliding down on the floor to sit next to the pale figure. This was one thing he didn’t want his mind to wander on for too long, he was all too familiar with the idea. There are certain things you should not think back on after the time has passed. Tyler could feel Josh’s eyes boring into the side of his face, but for some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to look over at him. He couldn’t bring himself to look into his ghostly eyes and make the connection that Josh was the soul of a person, a person went much too soon.

“You don’t have to say anything you know, you don’t have to feel bad, or upset. I’ve come to terms with it now.”

“How have you come to terms with something like that?”

“It took me some time, but I came to the conclusion that maybe I wasn’t somebody who needed to be helped. I think I was meant to go, meant to die.”

Tyler pondered the idea for a moment, realizing that even though he felt devastation running through his veins, that he understood what Josh felt, he understood how he came to that realization over time. No matter how long it had taken him to get there, he had done it. Through his loneliness, he still managed to find peace.

Tyler sighed, letting a weak smile spread across his face. “I guess that makes sense. Am I allowed to offer my apologies anyway?”

Josh nodded, allowing a soft breath to escape his frame.

“I’m sorry you ever felt that horrible about yourself, but I’m glad you’ve found peace within the idea. I’m going to make sure you’re not lonely.”

“Thank you.”

\--

Josh had vanished into thin air just as quickly as he appeared, leaving Tyler sitting on the floor, arms wrapped tightly around his legs as he listened to the nothingness surrounding him. He wished that Josh hadn’t left so soon, he was frightened of him still, but who wouldn’t be? Communicating openly to a ghost when he was expecting to live by himself was uncomfortable at best. It would take some getting used to, and he was certain of that. Tyler let out a sigh, tugging himself to his feet and strolling to the kitchen. Pulling a beaten up juice box out, he quickly stabbed the straw in and took a long sip.

He sighed once again, pulling himself onto the counter and dropping the empty juice box to the counter beside him. Josh was feeling tired when he disappeared, which seemed strange to Tyler. Do ghosts get tired? Do they have the capability of sleeping? He figured not, maybe it was just some sort of energy thing. He said he hadn’t made himself visible to humans before, so it could have been draining to him. He didn’t know, he could always do research on ghosts, but he felt slightly uncomfortable over it. Josh could be watching him, silently judging. He’d rather research it with him.

He felt a cold breeze brush by his side and took a deep breath. There were still many rooms to this house he had not explored to the fullest, and the one thing that felt as if it was drawing him in was the basement. Tyler picked himself off the counter, heading over to the door and pulling one of his hoodies over his shoulders before he headed towards the door. He thought about how Josh was probably following him through the hallways, and for some reason, it spread a warm feeling through his chest. Tyler walked towards the basement door, using the sleeve of his hoodie to brush away the dust that seemed to be compiling for years. This was the only area that Laura hadn’t shown him.

Something about that idea scared him. If Josh was Laura’s son, and he had killed himself. There might have been a reason that she hadn’t shown him this area. Like a traumatic event plaguing her mind and making her unable to spend time around that. If that were the case, he hoped there was nothing left for him to see. He hoped that he wouldn’t find anything upsetting or strange down there. He took a deep breath before swinging the door open, the screech the door made was terrifying at best and he found himself second guessing whether or not he should go down there in the first place.

He realized that this was his house now, so anything that he would approach down there was his to deal with. He was almost certain that purchasing this house might have been a mistake. But that could always have been his anxiety making a mountain out of a molehill. He sighed, his socked feet hitting heavily onto the rotten wood. It gave the illusion that the wooden steps were going to collapse under his feet, but he persisted. Determination and desire to discover what was down there spreading through his body.

When his cold feet touched the pavement below he sighed, reaching for the lightbulb that hung from a string covered in cobwebs and tiny spiders. The light flickered as it was pulled and then sprung to life, allowing a sigh of relief to fall through Tyler’s lips.

“Tyler.”

Tyler gasped, feeling as if the wind had been knocked out of his chest as he spun around, coming face to face with nothingness. An empty room. His heart nearly pounded out of his chest as he scanned the room, the insane amount of clutter catching his eye. There was a ragged carpet spread out along the floor in the corner, the placement confusing Tyler like no other. A gust of cold air brushed past Tyler again, but this time he turned to look. Instead of nothingness, he found Josh leaning against the banister. His face lips pulled into a thin line, his eyes staring directly at the floor.

“What’s wrong?” Tyler asked, his words wavering over the simple question.

“If you continue looking, you’ll find out.”

Tyler allowed a soft chuckle to escape his lips, hoping with everything in him that Josh was just pulling a prank on him. He couldn’t allow himself to be swayed by Josh’s words. But something inside him was telling him that he should be, that he should be afraid of what awaited him in this spacious, dark room. Josh still refused to make eye contact with him, lowering himself to hover right above the pavement.

“Are you telling me I should leave?”

Josh nodded, “I am trying to save you from what you’re going to find out.”

Tyler stared, fear in his eyes as he stepped closer to Josh, tripping over something on the ground. He looked down, his eyes widening as he saw the thick rope spread across the ground, saw the tightened knot, saw the blood around the loop. He looked back up to Josh, ready to take off running back up the stairs.

“Josh, what happened?”

“Mom did something bad.”

“Please, what did she do?”

“She messed up the natural order, she messed it up.”

“Josh, please!”

“She tried to bring me back.” 


	7. i'll leave them folded, neat and tidy

                Tyler couldn’t breathe. He could hear his heart beating in his eardrums at a million miles per minute, his breath getting caught in his throat every time he gasped for air. His head ached, his heart hurt. His chest felt as if it was being ripped apart at the seams. But he knew one thing, that being he needed to get out of the house. He took a deep breath, an achy feeling in his body as he ran towards the front door, rushing out and slamming the door behind him, not even bothering to lock the door as he dashed towards his truck. With a scrambled motion, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his keys. Shoving the key in the lock with as much speed as his panicked body could possibly muster.

                He jumped into the driver’s seat, shutting the door tight behind him as he pushed the key into the ignition, listening as the rickety engine of his running down vehicle sprung to life with some resistance. In that moment he realized he should be saving to buy a newer vehicle, but he pushed those thoughts away as he slammed the truck into reverse, swerving out of the driveway faster than he ever should have. He took one last glance at the house, his heart nearly ceasing to beat as he caught sight of Josh in the upstairs window. His hand pressed to the glass, not leaving an imprint as it would have if he was still alive. Tyler choked back tears as he pushed his car into drive. Pulling away from the Victorian home he thought he would come to love. Maybe he still could, but in this moment. He was terrified.

                What could Josh have meant? His mother tried to bring him back? There was no such thing was there? He had heard the stories, but believed them to just be tales. Of death rituals common in other countries that were utilized to bring back the souls, the deceased beings back into their original bodies. But he was sure they were all lies, that there couldn’t be a chance of a success story, could there have? Was that why Josh was tied to the house? Was there something tying him there. Tyler’s head felt like it was going to explode from the weight of the questions running through his head. Try as he might he just couldn’t shove them aside. He needed to think about them. He needed to have a knowledge of what kind of house he was living inside of, what kind of situation he had gotten himself into just by living in that house. Would Josh be attached to him? He just didn’t know. He didn’t want to know.

                His thoughts slowed down as he pulled into the parking lot of the only small coffee shop he saw on his way into town, though it took him twenty minutes to arrive on sight of it. He felt like that’s what he needed, this is where he needed to start to cool down. With a cup of coffee and a place with soft music and mood lighting. Somewhere that he’d be able to feel safe. He pulled into a parking space towards the end, taking into account that he had a larger vehicle and should probably park somewhere that people could shift around hi,. He didn’t want to be the one holding up a parking lot and making people who could possibly already be irritated, even more so. He put the truck into park, listening to the engine shutting down with a loud creak. He rested his head in his hands, giving himself a moment to catch his breath before he opened the door. Allowing his feet to hit the pavement, his ratty shoes allowing the cold to seep right in. He sighed, shutting the door behind him as he walked towards the quaint shop door.

                He allowed himself to smile at the name written in older cursive across the front door. “Tiny Bird Café.” It was cute, and it just radiated sweetness off of it. As he walked inside he smiled, a tiny bell ringing above him as the door swung open. The bell had a bird figurine hanging from it, and he couldn’t help but allow a small laugh to escape his lips. The woman behind the counter had the warmest smile, something he could compare strongly to the one his mother held. He found warmth spreading his way through his body as he approached. “Good mornin’ sweetheart! How are you doing today?” She smiled, her blond hair moving in the sway of her motion, he took note of how much her angled bob fit in with her features.

                “I’m alright, how are you doing today so far?” Tyler asked, allowing his lips to fall into a wide smile. She looked around, the color in her cheeks giving Tyler a sense of nostalgia as he remembered how his mother looked as she stood in the kitchen, preparing her husband and the older children their morning cups of coffee. He never realized how much he missed her until meeting this woman. He was saddened, but also thankful.

“I’m lovely! It’s pretty slow this morning, but it usually is. You’re the first customer today, what can I get for you sweetpea?” Her voice radiated sweetness. He couldn’t resist smiling even wider.

                “Could I get a black coffee and a blueberry muffin please?”

                “Course sweetheart, it’s on the house.”

 

 

                Tyler settled himself into a chair in the corner, placing his mug and his blueberry muffin on the top of the table. He listened to the echo of acoustic guitar filling through the speakers above his head. He pulled out his phone, scrolling through his notifications and finding nothing that peaked his interest. He placed his phone face down on the counter, allowing his mind to power down for a moment before he took a small sip of his coffee. It was still too hot to drink from entirely, so he placed the cup back down on the table. Looking at his blueberry muffin before deciding to wait more before diving into it. His stomach was churning still, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to keep it down.

                He stood up, leaving his muffin and his coffee against the table as he walked back up to the counter, watching as the lovely smile spread across the woman’s face. “Need anything else, pumpkin?”

                He shook his head, slipping his hands into his hoodie pockets. “No, but I kind of have a couple questions. I’m not sure if you’d be able to answer them. But I just wanted to check before I forgot about it entirely.

                “Go ahead!”

                “Do you happen to know what happened with Laura Dun and he son Josh. I’m sorry if this is invasive in any way shape or form.”

                Tyler watched the color drain from her face, the smile dissipating into a tight line.

                “Why do you ask?”

                “I just moved into their old home.”

                Tyler watched as the spoon in her hand fell to the ground, clattering louder than he could ever have imagined it would.

                “Go sit back down, I’ll come sit down with you in a moment.” Tyler watched as she walked to the front of the store, flipping the sign at the door from open, to closed.

                His heart pounded heavily in his already heavy chest.


	8. you'll know I'm out of hiding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well. it's been months. i think closer to a year? i don't know if anyone will still be reading this story, but if you are just know how much I appreciate you. i haven't been doing a lot of writing lately and i miss it so much. so hopefully i'll update THPOTILY sometime this week, and then i'll hopefully add another songfic or prompt to those stories too! thank yall so much ily. also i cant believe i posted this story almost two years ago?? i was still writing these chapters in class and now i'm writing them on my bed as a graduated person, heck yeah

Tyler was nervous, unsure of why she would have to close the store in order to talk to him. That furthered his panic. It must’ve been something serious, but he couldn’t overthink it. He watched from the corner of his eye as she untied the bright yellow apron from around her waist, taking a deep breath and folding it, resting it on the front counter. She caught Tyler watching her and smiled, quickly dropping her focus and heading towards his table. She pulled out the chair adjacent to him and settled in, crossing her legs. She tucked a tuft of her blonde hair behind her ear. “I feel like, before I ask any questions I should introduce myself. Maybe it’ll give me a little bit more time to come up with something to ask too! My name is Tyler Joseph.”

 

She smiled, nodding along as he spoke. “Nice to meet you, Tyler. My name’s Alora. Alora Soriano.” Alora looked down at the glass of water she had grabbed, the one that Tyler didn’t even remember her placing it down on the table. She caught his gaze once again. Her shimmering green eyes looking back at him. 

 

He wasn’t sure where he should start, what type of questions he should ask. He didn’t even know what he  _ wanted _ to know. His head was reeling with things he could possibly ask, he put his head in his hands for a moment before reverting back, standing up straight and resting his chin on his hand. “Maybe I should start off with, how did you meet them?” 

 

She smiled, allowing a memory to pass through her mind. “Well, I was working as a librarian, right at the old library in the center of town. I’d been there for quite some time and absolutely loved my job. I can’t tell you how many books I read, even the ones that I wasn’t before interested in. I became interested in after spending so many days stacking them back on the shelves and sorting them into their categories. I met Laura Dun on a Sunday, I believe. She was looking for books, she asked for something that could help her manage her son’s terrible depression. So, I helped her out. She promised she’d come back in after she read it, to most likely pick out another one. I put a few on hold for her. A few weeks later, she still hadn’t come back in, and the book she had been reading hadn’t been returned.” She sighed, her eyes scanning the small coffee shop as she focused. 

 

“I walked into work a few days later and returned the books to the shelves that I had reserved for Laura. I didn’t assume she was coming back anytime soon. I was interrupted in my process by my coworker. Her name was Stephani, she was someone I really didn’t enjoy being around or even talking to. I felt bad about it. But I couldn’t stand how the only form of communication she seemed to have with me was gossip, just talking about other people. Never herself. So, when she interrupted me with a “Hey Al, did you hear?” I certainly did not want to hear what she had to said.” 

 

Tyler swallowed, anticipating that this was where the story would begin to get complicated. “She handed me a slip of newspaper that said, “NORTH CAROLINA TEEN FOUND DEAD IN HOME: SUSPECTED SUICIDE.” With the picture of an old, Victorian home that was much too beautiful. Besides, was a picture of the boy, Joshua, I believe, and I realized that we had gone to school together. Just for one year, he was in grade 10 while I was in my senior, graduating year. I didn’t spend too much time with him, but I heard the stories.”

 

She sighed, wiping the underneath of her eyes with a sad smile. Tyler hadn’t even realized that she’d begun to tear up and felt absolutely terrible. He reached a hand across the table and rested it on top of her own. He didn’t expect this woman to know much about Josh, just about Laura. But he was pleasantly surprised that he would get to hear, something, anything about Josh. “Josh was painfully alone. He was the kid known for wearing sweaters in the summer, every single day without a fail. He didn’t have friends, and he barely even talked to most of his acquaintances. He seemed to enjoy the company of only himself. But he wasn’t rude, or an unpleasant person to be around. We had music together, so I found the time to speak to him on multiple occasions. The only time I’ve ever really seen him smile was in that classroom. It was almost as if he felt at home. Frankly, it was adorable.” She smiled at the distant memory. 

 

“I heard from one of my senior friends, that someone had cornered him in the bathroom, and ripped his sweater from his body. They described something out of a horror movie, and it made me ill to think about. I walked out of the classroom, hoping that I’d find him at his usual spot in the cafeteria, working on his online classes or tapping away to the music through his headphones. But I just caught him running out, his sleeves pulled up to his elbows, tears streaming down his face, and bright red lines visible from the distance away I was standing. I couldn’t catch up to him, and I never saw him again.” She sighed, her hand shaking under Tyler’s ever so slightly. 

 

Tyler squeezed her hand and then pulled away, a frown pronounced across his features. He couldn’t believe the pain this young boy had gone through, the pain that this boy who lived in his house, as an individual from the afterlife, had gone through, and was still dealing with. “Wow, thank you so much for sharing that with me.” 

 

She laughed softly, nervously. “Well, of course, I’m sure you have at least another question. You’re living in their house, after all, I couldn’t imagine what you found.” Tyler shook his head uncomfortably. 

 

“Nothing all too pleasant.” 

 

Alora sighed. Nodding her head slightly as she ruffled her own hair, leaning back in the uncomfortable cafe chairs. Tyler opened his mouth to speak, “Did you ever see Laura again?” Alora nodded, before settling back into her previous position. 

 

“I did see her again, and once again it was at the library. She caught me off guard, I had my headphones in and was filling out a brand new section. She smiled at me but she certainly didn’t seem happy. Understandably so, she had just lost her son. Without any more words, she asked if I could help her find a specific type of books. I agreed and went to the computers so that I could search up exactly what she wanted. I felt strange about it, but I could never place exactly why it was coming from. Until she said, “Witchcraft, maybe? I don’t know.” I found the books for her, 6 in total, thick novels. I’ve never seen someone check out of there so fast.” Tyler’s eyes widened, leaning back in his seat. 

 

He, of course, suspected something like that, just from what he had seen. But he didn’t know what to say, he didn’t know how he could phrase anything that would blend in well. “Do you know what happened to them? I’ve met Laura, she was actually the one who had sold me the house.” Alora’s eyebrows raised, slightly confused at that statement. 

 

“Oh, I didn’t know she had come back to town.” 

 

“What do you mean?” Tyler asked, tilting his head to the side. 

 

“Well, shortly after she took those books, Laura Dun and her family disappeared into thin air. There was no trace of them, most of the furniture left in the house and only the important things were taken. She hasn’t been back in town for a couple months after the police searched the house and launched an investigation.” 

 

“Wow, that’s.. Scary.” 

 

Alora nodded her head, a small frown crossing her lips. “It is. I hope I’ve answered everything I can for you, I’m afraid I don’t have any more information to give you!” Tyler stood up, finishing the last of his coffee and outstretching his hand to shake Alora’s. 

 

“Thank you so much, I honestly can’t tell you how much this means to me. I moved in pretty recently and I’ve just, seen some things that are mildly questionable. I don’t know where else I would have found this information.” 

 

“Of course sweetheart! I’ll unlock the door for you so you can take off! I hope you come back sometime soon, maybe we can talk again but about something more lighthearted.” She smiled sweetly, rubbing her thumb across the back of Tyler’s hand before scooting past him and heading towards the front door, he followed suit as she flipped the lock over and flipped the sign back to ‘Open”.

 

“I’ll come back soon! Thank you so much, Alora!” She waved at him, a wide smile on her face as she walked back to the counter, wrapping her yellow apron back around her waist as Tyler headed back towards his truck, settling into the front seat. 


End file.
